Read Online Daddy Wore Spurs (Mills & Boon Cherish) (Men of the West, Book 32) by Stella Bagwell - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Stella Bagwell
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and scoops, Mariah pulled out a red wagon with wooden side boards. The inside was lined and padded with a thick blanket.
“I made a seat belt for him with the straps from a child’s old car seat. And I use this baby pillow to prop in front of him for extra support. It works great,” she told Finn. “I don’t have to worry about him toppling over or trying to pull himself out. Just sit him here and I’ll show you how to buckle him up.”
* * *
He placed Harry at the back end of the wagon and Mariah clipped the safety straps across the boy’s chest. All the while, she was incredibly aware of Finn standing next to her.
These past few hours, her emotions had been on a violent roller coaster. The lonely woman in her was relishing every moment of his rugged presence. But part of her was weeping at the thought of his taking her baby away. Her only hope of hanging on to Harry was to have Finn’s DNA be a mismatch. But would that really solve anything? Harry deserved a father. She’d have to keep searching, and the next man might not be daddy material at all.
“Very ingenious,” he said with a grin. “You ought to put these things on the market.”
Straightening to her full height, she tried her best to smile. “I’d rather just keep the little invention to myself.”
She hurriedly moved away and began scooping grain into one of the heavy rubber buckets. One, two, three. She continued counting until she reached six, then started on another bucket.
From the corner of her eye, she could see Finn watching her. What was he thinking? Earlier this afternoon, there’d been odd moments when she’d thought she’d seen masculine appreciation in his eyes, maybe even a hint of attraction. But that could’ve been her imagination working overtime. After all, it had been so long since she’d had a man look at her in a sexual way that she wasn’t sure she would recognize the signs.
“Can I help you measure the feed?” he asked.
“No thanks. I can handle this. Just take Harry on outside so he won’t breath in the grain dust.”
For a moment she thought he was going to protest, but after a shrug of one shoulder, he grabbed the wagon tongue and pulled Harry out of the feed room. Once he was out of sight, Mariah bent her head and drew in a long, bracing breath. She had to collect herself. The man was going to be around for several more days. She couldn’t fall apart every time he came near her.
By the time she carried the feed buckets out of the barn, she noticed Finn had parked the wagon beneath a canyon mahogany so that Harry would be shaded. As soon as he spotted her at the gate to the mares’ paddock, he left the baby to join her.
“Harry is perfectly content, so let me help you with one of those,” he said, while reaching for one of the buckets.
“Thanks,” she told him. “Just pour it into one of those long troughs. I’ll fill the other one.”
Once the mares were lined up at the trough, the two of them made their way out of the small paddock.
“I hope you’re giving the mares adequate hay. Carrying babies, they especially need the nutrition.”
Mariah would be the first to admit she didn’t know a whole lot about horse care. Not when she compared her equine knowledge to Aimee and her father. Still, it irked her to have this man telling her what she needed to be doing with her own animals.
“I do,” she answered. “But I’m not sure how much longer I can keep it up. Hay is expensive. If I don’t sell the horses soon I may have to turn them out on the range and let them scavenge for whatever grazing they can find.”
He stopped in his tracks and stared at her in disbelief.
“Mariah, no! All five of those mares are near foaling. They need to be monitored closely. If they have trouble—”
“Look, Finn, I realize you mean well. But I can’t afford the best hay or grain. I can’t even afford a vet. If the mares have trouble foaling the most I can do is call on Ringo to help. Together
“I made a seat belt for him with the straps from a child’s old car seat. And I use this baby pillow to prop in front of him for extra support. It works great,” she told Finn. “I don’t have to worry about him toppling over or trying to pull himself out. Just sit him here and I’ll show you how to buckle him up.”
* * *
He placed Harry at the back end of the wagon and Mariah clipped the safety straps across the boy’s chest. All the while, she was incredibly aware of Finn standing next to her.
These past few hours, her emotions had been on a violent roller coaster. The lonely woman in her was relishing every moment of his rugged presence. But part of her was weeping at the thought of his taking her baby away. Her only hope of hanging on to Harry was to have Finn’s DNA be a mismatch. But would that really solve anything? Harry deserved a father. She’d have to keep searching, and the next man might not be daddy material at all.
“Very ingenious,” he said with a grin. “You ought to put these things on the market.”
Straightening to her full height, she tried her best to smile. “I’d rather just keep the little invention to myself.”
She hurriedly moved away and began scooping grain into one of the heavy rubber buckets. One, two, three. She continued counting until she reached six, then started on another bucket.
From the corner of her eye, she could see Finn watching her. What was he thinking? Earlier this afternoon, there’d been odd moments when she’d thought she’d seen masculine appreciation in his eyes, maybe even a hint of attraction. But that could’ve been her imagination working overtime. After all, it had been so long since she’d had a man look at her in a sexual way that she wasn’t sure she would recognize the signs.
“Can I help you measure the feed?” he asked.
“No thanks. I can handle this. Just take Harry on outside so he won’t breath in the grain dust.”
For a moment she thought he was going to protest, but after a shrug of one shoulder, he grabbed the wagon tongue and pulled Harry out of the feed room. Once he was out of sight, Mariah bent her head and drew in a long, bracing breath. She had to collect herself. The man was going to be around for several more days. She couldn’t fall apart every time he came near her.
By the time she carried the feed buckets out of the barn, she noticed Finn had parked the wagon beneath a canyon mahogany so that Harry would be shaded. As soon as he spotted her at the gate to the mares’ paddock, he left the baby to join her.
“Harry is perfectly content, so let me help you with one of those,” he said, while reaching for one of the buckets.
“Thanks,” she told him. “Just pour it into one of those long troughs. I’ll fill the other one.”
Once the mares were lined up at the trough, the two of them made their way out of the small paddock.
“I hope you’re giving the mares adequate hay. Carrying babies, they especially need the nutrition.”
Mariah would be the first to admit she didn’t know a whole lot about horse care. Not when she compared her equine knowledge to Aimee and her father. Still, it irked her to have this man telling her what she needed to be doing with her own animals.
“I do,” she answered. “But I’m not sure how much longer I can keep it up. Hay is expensive. If I don’t sell the horses soon I may have to turn them out on the range and let them scavenge for whatever grazing they can find.”
He stopped in his tracks and stared at her in disbelief.
“Mariah, no! All five of those mares are near foaling. They need to be monitored closely. If they have trouble—”
“Look, Finn, I realize you mean well. But I can’t afford the best hay or grain. I can’t even afford a vet. If the mares have trouble foaling the most I can do is call on Ringo to help. Together
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